Peaceful Coexistence

All Religions are but one

coexist101 — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:09:10 +0000

Since the object of praise is one,
from this point of view,
all religions are but one religion.
Know that all praise belongs to the Light of God
and is only lent to created forms and beings.
Should people praise anyone but the One
who alone deserves to be praised?
But they go astray in useless fantasy.
The Light of God in relation to phenomena
is like light shining upon a wall—
the wall is but a focus for these splendors.

~.~

Mathnawi III: 2124-2127
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
“Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance”
Threshold Books, 1996

Calgary Film Premiere – Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think

coexist101 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:33:45 +0000

Muslim Council of Calgary (MCC) Proudly Presents the Calgary premiere of

Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims really Think!

When: January 3, 2010 @ 7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)

Where: Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14th Ave NW, Calgary)

Tickets: $15 advanced from Ticketmaster; $20 at the door

Panelists:

John Esposito: Professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. Director of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal centre for Muslim-Christian understanding.

Hamid Slimi: Chairman of the Canadian Council of Imams, Imam of the Sayeda Khadija Centre, President of Faith of Life Network.

Jon Kay: Comment pages editor of the National Post. he is a columnist for the National Post op-ed page, contributor to Commentary magazine and the New York Post.

Sheema Khan: Past-president of CAIR-CAN, Columnist and Editor for the Toronto Globe and Mail. Author of “Of Hockey and Hijab”

Sources:

http://almoonir.blogspot.com/2009/11/inside-islam-what-billion-muslims.html

http://www.upf.tv/upf06/Films/InsideIslamWhataBillionMuslimsReallyThink/tabid/319/Default.aspx

http://www.muslimsofcalgary.ca/

Judging: Can You Let Go?

coexist101 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:00:37 +0000

The following article is from Interfaith.com. For more resources on interfaith and to connect with other interfaith chapters around the world, visit http://www.interfaithing.com.

Is it possible to let go of judging others? How about letting go of judging ourselves? Many of us are familiar with the saying, “Judgenot, and ye shall not be judged.” Maybe when we judge others what we are really doing is judging ourselves at the same time. Some say that our outer world is just a reflection of our inner world, how we truly feel about ourselves.

Often we do not even allow the other person a chance to explain, make amends or change. By judging we are drawing conclusions, it makes it final. How often are we wrong about our judgments? It seems to be unconscious human nature to categorize people by their race, colour, gender or religion and then pass judgment on them.

It might be that when we judge another we are holding ourselves above the other person. We do not always have all the facts or the whole story. This might be a difficult concept to grasp for many but I think that when we judge others it can be that what we see in the other person is what we dislike in our Self. We are rejecting something in our self that we are not consciously aware of. How can we truly judge when we don’t know the other person’s circumstances in life? I like the saying, “I am neither superior nor inferior to anyone.”

Judgment can also come from feelings of inadequacy, envy and jealousy. It is not always easy to see that within us. We might think we are just making a comment or giving our opinion of the other person. Most of the time if we become emotionally charged while doing this it’s an indication that some feelings need to be resolved.

Complete at Source: http://www.interfaithing.com/articles/judging-can-you-let-go/

by Helena Basso on Monday, December 7th, 2009

Story from Iran: The Little Black Fish by Samad Behrangi

coexist101 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:25:22 +0000

It was the longest night of winter. At the bottom of the sea an old fish gathered together 12,000 of her children and grandchildren and began to tell them this story:

Once upon a time a little black fish lived with her mother in a small pool on the side of a mountain. Their home was below a black,moss-covered rock, under which they both slept at night. Little black fish longed to see the moonlight in her home but it never happened.

From early in the morning until the sun set, Little black fish swan around the pool with her mother. Sometimes they swam with other fish and played hide and seek in and out of small crevices. Little black fish was an only child; for of the 10,000 eggs which the mother had laid, only she had survived.

For several days the little fish had been deep in thought and had talked very little. She swam slowly behind her mother around the pond and did not play with the other fish. Her mother thought her child was sick and would soon be well. In fact, the black fish’s sickness was really something else!

Early one morning before the sun had risen, the little fish woke her mother and said: ”Mother, I want to talk to you.”

Half-asleep, the mother responded: ”Child, this isn’t the time to talk. Save your words for later. Go swimming ?”

“No, Mother! I can’t go swimming anymore. I must leave here.”

“Do you really have to leave ?”

“Yes, Mother, I must go.”

“Just a minute! Where do you want to go at this hour of the morning ?”

“I want to go see where the stream ends. You know, Mother, I’ve been wondering where the end of the stream is… I haven’t been able to think about anything else. I didn’t sleep a wink all night. At last, I decided to go and find where the stream ends. I want to know what’s happening in other places.”

The mother laughed – “When I was a child, I used to think a lot like that. But, my dear, a stream has no beginning and no end. That’s the way it is. The stream just flows and never goes anywhere.”

“But mother dear, isn’t it true that everything comes to an end ? Nights end, days end, weeks, months, years…”

“Forget this pretentious talk,” interrupted the mother – “Let’s go swimming. Now is the time to swim, not talk. “

“No, Mother, I’m tired of this swimming, I want to set out and see what’s happening elsewhere. Maybe you think someone taught me these ideas but believe me, I’ve had these thoughts for a long time. Of course, I’ve learned many things here and there. For instance, I know that when most fish get old, they complain about everything. I want to know if life is simply for circling around in a small place until you become old and nothing else, or is there another way to live in the world ?”

Continue reading the story here:

http://www.iranchamber.com/literature/sbehrangi/works/the_little_black_fish.php

About Samad Behrangi

Other resources: http://www.blackfish.org.uk

Some call the Lord ‘ Ram, Ram’, and some ‘ Khuda’

coexist101 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:45 +0000

Some call the Lord ‘Ram, Ram’, and some ‘Khuda’.
Some serve Him as ‘Gusain’, others as ‘Allah’.

In any case, He is the Cause of causes, and Generous.
He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us.

Some pilgrims bathe at sacred shrines, others go on Hajj to Mecca.
Some do devotional worship, whilst others bow their heads in prayer.

Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran.
Some wear blue robes, and some wear white.

Some call themselves Turk, and some call themselves Indian.
Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven.

Says Nanak, one who realizes the true command of God’s Will,
knows the secrets of his Lord Master.

by Guru Nanak

via: Blessed Guru Nanak Jayanti …

Agree to Disagree – No Compulsion in Religion – by Baba Ali

coexist101 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:54:13 +0000

Source: http://ummahfilms.blogspot.com/

Via: Faith of Life Network

Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think

coexist101 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:37:20 +0000

“Who Speaks for Islam?,” the title of a two-part series beginning on Sunday on Link TV, is a benign case of bait and switch. The answer to the question, we’re told, is that no one speaks for Islam — it is too vast and diverse, spreading across too many countries and cultures, to have a single, authoritative voice.

As the Middle East analyst Reza Aslan puts it, Americans are looking for a “united voice of condemnation” of militant violence — a representative of the world’s Muslims who will unequivocally say the things they want to hear — but “there is no such person in Islam.” The voices that fill the void are those of the militants, simply because they’re loudest.

Interview:

http://www.linktv.org/video/4520/who-speaks-for-islam-what-a-billion-muslims-really-think

An Evening with Karen Armstrong: Book Discussion on “The Case for God”

coexist101 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:16:41 +0000

By: Karen Armstrong
When: Thursday, October 8, 2009 – 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Where: The Wortham Center – 501 Texas, Houston, Texas, USA

Abstract:

The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance is partnering with The Progressive Forum to bring Karen Armstrong to The Wortham Center on October 8, 2009 to discuss her latest book, “The Case for God”. There will be a book signing following the lecture and books will be available for purchase through Brazos Bookstore. Detailed Ticket information can be found at: http://www.progressiveforumhouston.org/.

Source: http://boniuk.rice.edu/Events.aspx?EventRecord=11877

What are we doing here? Who knows? How did we get here? I will tell you

coexist101 — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:09:26 +0000

Click on the image or link here

Maira Kalman explains how everyone got to America.

The Domestic Crusaders: A Landmark Play About Muslim Americans

coexist101 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:37:11 +0000

The Domestic Crusaders focuses on a day in the life of a modern Muslim Pakistani-American family of six eclectic, unique members, who convene at the family house to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of the youngest child.

With a background of 9-11 and the scapegoating of Muslim Americans, the tensions and sparks fly among the three generations, culminating in an intense family battle as each “crusader” struggles to assert and impose their respective voices and opinions, while still attempting to maintain and understand that unifying thread that makes them part of the same family.

Related: Making American Muslim Theater

More about Wajahat Ali

Official Webiste: http://www.domesticcrusaders.com